


Missing

by merentha13



Category: The Professionals
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-31
Updated: 2012-03-31
Packaged: 2017-11-02 20:05:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/372868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merentha13/pseuds/merentha13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ray's missing, Bodie's searching</p>
            </blockquote>





	Missing

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Weekly Obbo at Tea & Swiss Roll picture prompts for 135 & 136  
> http://teaandswissroll.livejournal.com/489500.html#cutid1  
> http://teaandswissroll.livejournal.com/491316.html#cutid1

Bodie looked away from the thin scrap of red fabric teased by the wind as it clung to the wire fence. Ray had been wearing a tatty red t-shirt when he’d last been seen. He tiredly rubbed the back of his neck as he peered around the scrubby field. There was not much to see. A gang of kids was tossing a ball around a make-shift cricket pitch on the far side of the fence, but otherwise the school yard was abandoned. What had Ray been up to? One of Doyle’s grasses had left a message at HQ saying that he’d seen Ray taken by three men in this field. And Ray hadn’t been heard from since. 

Bodie’s temper a bit short, he turned to Cowley and demanded, “Where are the lab boys? We need to know if that bit of cloth even belonged to Ray.” 

“Easy, 3.7. They’ll be here soon.” Cowley studied half of his best team and decided he needed to keep this one busy. “Take another look around the perimeter, Bodie. Make sure we haven’t missed anything.”

“The only thing missing is Doyle,” Bodie muttered to himself as he walked towards the fence.

Anson caught up to him. “What was Doyle working on that he’d find himself in this lovely place?”

“Got a tip that Mitchell’s gang was setting up a meet, rumour has him selling drugs to the kids at the school and any that play cricket in that field over there. You know how Ray is about kids and drugs.”

“Like wavin’ a red flag in the face of a chargin’ bull.” Anson paused, looking quickly back at the fabric tangled in the wire. “Sorry.”

Bodie ignored him, all his attention directed at the disturbed ground at his feet.

“Looks like a scuffle might’ve taken place here, yeah?” Bodie bent down to sift through the dirt. He slowly raised his hand to Anson, showing him a short silver chain.

“Doyle’s?” Anson asked.

Bodie nodded, his throat too tight to speak. Ray had seen the bracelet in a shop while they had been looking into a jewellery robbery and had liked it. Not one to spend money on frivolous items, Ray had declined the shop owner’s offer of a discount. But Bodie had seen him take a long, last look at it when they’d left the shop. Bodie had gone back that afternoon to buy it for him. The look in Ray’s eyes when he saw it was worth every pound Bodie had paid for it. Bodie clutched it tight in his hand.

“Well, at least we know for sure he was here,” Anson said.

“Keep looking. There has to be a clue around here somewhere.” Bodie shoved the bracelet into his pocket and continued his search of the ground.

“Here,” Anson shouted. “Looks like someone was running quickly across the dirt. Big feet too,” he laughed at Bodie’s outraged glance. 

Bodie followed the path etched into the loose soil. “Looks like they lead towards the school.”

“Hey! Mister!”

Bodie turned and saw two of the boys from the pick-up game running towards him. Skinny, dirty and sweating, the stopped a few cautious feet from Bodie.

“You lookin’ for Ray?” the older looking of the two asked.

“You know Ray?” Bodie asked, finally feeling a bit of hope.

“Maybe…”

“I’m a friend of his,” Bodie tried to look less threatening, “Haven’t seen him about, was worried about him.”

“You’re the police,” the accusation was filled with distrust.

“Just a friend of Ray’s,” Bodie hedged.

The boys exchanged glances and the younger one nodded. “We seen him. Yesterday. He was playin’ ball with us,” he gestured towards the pitch and then went silent, his eyes dropping to his dusty trainers.

“Did something happen to him?” Bodie prompted.

Again the lads exchanged guilty glances. Bodie frowned. Anson could see Bodie’s patience begin to evaporate.

“We’re only here to find Ray, “Anson tried to reassure them, “tell us what you saw.”

The older of the two spoke up. “We were playin’, chasin’ Ray, tryin’ to git the ball away from ‘im. He seen some men tryin’ to git into the school and he just took off runnin’. Was like Action Man the way he jumped over that fence. Didn’t even stop when ‘is shirt got caught up.”

Bodie smiled at the admiration in the lad’s voice. Credit Ray to find fans amongst this lot.

The younger one took over. “Ray followed the men in. We… well we, we followed too. We heard yelling and fighting.” He stopped.

“What?” Bodie tried to hold onto his temper.

“Heard gunshots then, didn’t we?” the lad spoke quickly, shame tinged the words, “and so we ran away.” He expression shifted into defiance. “We don’t get involved with guns.”

“Smart lads.” Bodie took off running towards the school.

Anson spoke , “Thanks. We’ll take it from here.”

“Is Ray alright?” the younger one asked.

“That’s what we’re here to find out. Go on back to your game, now.”

The boy’s looked up sheepishly and muttered, “Sorry, Mister.”

Anson nodded hurried after Bodie.

 

Checking around the building, there were no signs of what had happened to Ray or the others. Entering they searched the few classrooms without luck. Bodie pointed at a door that led into a basement level. Taking the stairs carefully down, they found themselves in a long, poorly lit corridor. It was cold and damp. The peeling paint on the cement walls glistened in the weak yellow light thrown off by old lamps. Bodie suppressed a shiver and pictured Ray’s goose-bumped flesh, covered only with a torn red t-shirt. 

They padded silently through the semi-darkness, guns drawn, careful to avoid stepping in the oily puddles dotting the concrete floor.

Bodie signalled Anson to stop. 

Head tipped to one side, he listened. Moisture running down the walls dripped onto the floor with soft splashes. Water falling from the ceiling hissed as it contacted the heat of the electric lights spaced along the hall. Their own breath echoed in the humid air.

And then they heard it, a shuffling noise coming from the far end of the passageway. There were no lights down there. They moved carefully, taking opposite sides of the hallway. Eyes adjusting to the dark, they made out a huddled form, trying to slide further back down the passage.

“Ray?” Bodie called out, recognizing the curled figure.

Ray stopped and tried to sit up. They heard a stifled shout as he tried to rise and toppled back to the floor. Bodie was quickly at his side. Bodie sat and propped Ray’s back against his chest, ignoring the cold liquid seeping through his trousers. Ray’s shivering rocked them both.

Anson returned from checking the rest of the area and draped his jacket over Ray. Ray’s head thrashed back and forth, the anger spiking in his eyes translated the muffled words held back by the tape across his mouth.

“Might be safer to leave him gagged, Bodie,” Anson suggested as he knelt down to untie Ray’s feet. Ray tensed as he felt the rumble of laughter in Bodie’s chest.

“Nah, nothing sadder than a mute golly.” Bodie pulled the tape from Doyle’s mouth.

“Fucking hell, Bodie – might warn a bloke before…”

Bodie lightly pressed the tape back into place, keeping his hand over Ray’s mouth.

“You might be right, mate.” Bodie told Anson.

Doyle glared at both them. Too weak to nurse his anger, he collapsed weakly back into Bodie’s hold.

Anson removed the ropes securing Ray’s arms to his sides and sat back on his heels to watch Ray.

“You alright? What happened?”

Ray nodded. “I’m fine, a few bruises, he croaked through a dry throat. Bodie rubbed at his arms trying to get blood circulating and warm him up. He asked, “Let’s have it, then. How’d you get to this?”

Ray shrugged. “Was supposed to meet a grass, Eddie, here at the school. He didn’t show. I got dragged into a game with the lads. I caught sight of Mitchell and his thugs going into the school and followed him. Didn’t see the third one until it was too late. Took a knock to the head. Woke up like this,” he shook his head in embarrassment. 

“Need a keeper, you do,” Bodie tightened his grip. Realising Ray was safe, Bodie’s anger replaced his concern. “You should never have gone in alone, Doyle. You do have a partner…”

“Wasn’t time,” Ray interrupted. He met Bodie’s gaze, “How _did_ you find me?”

“Your admirers up there, quite impressed with your super-hero performance, weren’t they?” Bodie playfully ruffled his damp hair. “Eddie saw Mitchell’s man take you down and called into HQ. The kids saw you run in here.”

Doyle looked down and then back up at the two agents surrounding him. “Thanks,” he said quietly.

“Seventh Cavalry at your service, sunshine.” Bodie smiled. “Let’s get you home.”

“But Mitchell…”

“Is long gone. There’ll be other chances, Ray. Let it go for now.”

Ray reluctantly agreed.

“C’mon, then.” Bodie helped him up. “There are adoring fans awaiting topside.”

Ray stood and rolled his eyes.

“Berk.”

“Pillock.”

“Don’t know why Cowley puts up with the likes of you.” Anson sighed heavily and led them up the stairs.


End file.
